Song of the Endless
by ShadowReprise
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki thought he had nothing to live for, but a solitary research mission to the cold and desolate wilderness of the North could prove otherwise. SasuNaru
1. Chapter 01

Hey guys! This is my first ever serious Fanfic. If you'd rather read something funny, check out my other one; _Kakashi and Jiraiya's Awesome Anime Adventure_.

The beginning is largely a tribute to the book _Never Cry Wolf_ by Farley Mowat, (which was also adapted into a film by Disney) but it definitely takes off in its own direction as well. Hope you enjoy it!

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CHAPTER 1: Tragic Thoughts of a Lonely Boy

"Take care, Naruto."

Those were the words Iruka, my adoptive father, spoke to me on my last day in the tranquil city of Konoha.

I nodded, as a million thoughts rushed through my head.

_Do I really want to go through with this? _

It didn't matter. There was no turning back now. All I could do was take one last look at my city and turn to board the helicopter.

I was headed north; far north; to a frozen wasteland of nothing. I didn't have much; only the essentials. It was enough to last out there for one month, when the helicopter would return for me. However, the chances of surviving even a week were slim.

I was sent to find the Nine Tailed Fox; a legendary creature that I thought probably didn't even exist. It was said to reside in the wilderness of the northern territories. At least, that was according to the research of one of Konoha's top brains.

His name was Kakashi Hatake. He spent the majority of his life researching the Nine Tailed Fox, and finally came up with a theory pertaining to its location about two years ago. You'd think that his discovery would excite him enough to trek up north himself, but alas, that just wasn't something he was willing to do. Who could blame him though? The expedition was almost suicide. No one would agree to accept the task.

That is where I came in; a young man of only eighteen years with nothing to live for. All my life I was an outcast. I had no one. Iruka may have taken care of me all those years, but I couldn't help but feel like a burden to him; just a stupid kid who would never amount to anything in life.

_Who cares if I die? Maybe it would be for the best._

The helicopter started up, burying my past in a wall of deafening sound.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

I sat in silence for the first hour of the flight and I probably would have remained that way too; but suddenly, the pilot initiated a conversation with me.

"Well you're not a very talkative one," the young, dark haired man pointed out, "I guess you're probably scared out of your mind though."

I hadn't noticed how young the pilot was until then. He didn't seem to be any older than myself.

"I guess I should be scared, but I'm not." I responded, gazing blankly at the ground below.

The young man laughed, "You're not afraid of getting killed out there?"

"No, not really."

I must have sounded like an extremely depressing person in that moment (which wasn't far from the truth) but the pilot only chuckled at my response.

"Gee, and here I thought that I was biggest pessimist in Konoha," he started, "Flying you all the way out here is a real drag, you know? If that isn't bad enough, I have to come back in a month and pick you up too, so don't die and cause me to waste a trip up here, got it?"

Something about his words struck me a bit. Even though it was for self-centered reasons, it felt nice that someone was depending on my safe return.

_How pathetic is that?_

I looked at him for a brief moment before redirecting my stare back to the ground below, "I can't make any promises."

The young pilot sighed, "What a drag."

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

A second hour in flight went by before the pilot spoke to me again, "So what's your name anyway?"

"Naruto," I spoke quietly, "Naruto Uzumaki."

"I'm Shikamaru Nara," he replied, "My old man owns a huge grocery store back in Konoha and wants me to take it over someday. It sounds like a real drag though. I'd rather be flying helicopters, but even that can be a drag at times."

I tried to think of something interesting to say about myself, but I couldn't, "I'm just a nobody who has nothing to live for. If something happens that I'm lucky enough to survive this, at least I'd have accomplished something; but I really don't care anymore."

Shikamaru sighed again, "Look, I'm not the best with helping people sort out their problems, and also, I have no idea what you've gone through. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that everything is going to get better and that you should care whether or not you live or die. True, I'd be a little pissed if I came back here in a month and you were dead, but in the end, the choice is yours. The dead usually don't seem to care whether or not they inconvenience the living, now do they?"

Silence returned once again for only a brief moment. I had no response.

"However," Shikamaru began, "If you decide you want to live, then there is something I should warn you about."

"Kakashi told me all about the dangerous wolves," I interrupted, "What could you know that he hasn't already warned me about?"

Shikamaru laughed, "Kakashi may be smart, but he doesn't know everything."

I was puzzled.

_What could he be talking about?_

"You see, I take people from place to place all the time and I hear a lot of stories," Shikamaru continued, "Tell me Naruto. Have you ever heard of the lost Uchiha clan?"

"Doesn't ring any bells," I answered, "Should I have?"

Shikamaru smiled slightly, "Well, it's more of a myth than anything else, but I've met people before who insist it's true."

I looked out the window, noticing that the terrain below was starting to become more and more barren. The flight would be another two hours yet, so I decided that I might as well pursue further conversation with Shikamaru.

"Tell me about these Uchihas," I said, "Who were they?"

"Well," Shikamaru began, "the Uchihas once had the northern-most civilization in the world. The vast and desolate wilderness of the north belonged to them and only them. It is said that even the most vicious wolves would obey their every command."

The information peaked my curiosity. I wanted to know more.

"So what happened to them?" I asked.

"Legend has it that they were all wiped out by one of their own. Nobody quite knows how or why; but then again, nobody ever dares to come up this far and find out," Shikamaru smirked, "Just be careful. Who knows what kind of danger exists out here? Those hungry wolves could very well be the least of your worries."

_So what? It's not like I care what happens to me anymore._

"Well, have any of your little storytellers ever mentioned the Nine Tailed Fox?" I asked, changing the subject to something that was a bit more relevant to my assignment.

Shikamaru paused, "I can't say they have; but then again, I haven't ever taken anyone this far north before."

I nodded slightly and closed my eyes, wanting to sleep off the rest of the trip.

"It would sure be one hell of a drag if you don't find it; but I guess you really don't care," Shikamaru sighed, "You really are a depressing kid."

I didn't respond to him. Instead, I kept my eyes closed and drifted off to sleep. I didn't dream of anything. I never did.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

I was awoken by a sudden jolt. Slowly opening my eyes, I realized that we had landed.

"Okay Naruto, this is where you get off," Shikamaru informed, directing me out of the helicopter.

I put on my backpack and grabbed the three containers of food and equipment I had brought along. As I exited the helicopter, I was nearly blinded by the bright sun shining down upon the snowy tundra, causing it to sparkle beautifully.

"Don't be taken in by how pretty it looks," Shikamaru warned as he started the helicopter back up, "Out here, it's survival of the fittest."

I gave a little smile, "Thanks Shikamaru."

"Yeah, you're welcome," he sighed, "Remember; I'll be back for you in one month at this spot. If you're still living till then, don't forget."

I nodded at him as the helicopter began its ascent; its sound slowly fading into the distance before I couldn't hear it anymore. In all directions, there was nothing as far as the eye could see; just an endless snowy terrain.

_What am I supposed to do now?_

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By the time that the sun had started to go down, I had made a small, makeshift campsite, and as night finally began to fall upon the icy tundra, I felt an enormous drop in temperature. It was cold enough even when the sun was shining, and now that it was gone, there was no source of heat whatsoever, and no sticks lying around to try and start a fire with. I was tempted to use some of the documents that Kakashi had supplied me with, but then I thought that perhaps they could be of importance if I somehow found the Nine Tailed Fox.

_Maybe I'll freeze to death?_

That night, I insulated myself within two heavy sleeping bags. I was still freezing, but it was better than nothing. As I drifted off to sleep, I heard the howling of wolves echoing from far away.

_How could something so terrible sound so beautiful?_

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

During the middle of the night, a huge wind gust came through and woke me up. The chill of it stung as it repeatedly blew on my face. I buried my head in the sleeping bag and waited for it to stop. All was still yet again, but suddenly, a mysterious voice broke the silence.

"You don't look like someone who belongs out here," It said.

I looked up to see a tall, shadowy male figure standing a few feet away; his face obscured in the darkness.

"Who are you?" I asked calmly, without even moving. I was so tired that the situation almost didn't seem real.

"I think you'd better go home before something bad happens to you," the deep, velvety voiced stranger replied.

"If something bad happens to me, then so be it. No one will miss me anyway," I responded; my mind still in a complete daze.

The stranger stood silently for several minutes.

"I see," He finally said as he turned and walked away.

My eyes became so heavy from exhaustion that I couldn't keep them open any longer. I fell asleep once again.

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Thanks for reading!

**Next chapter:** _Sage of the North_


	2. Chapter 02

Hi everyone! Chapter two is just a little shorter than the first, but I feel like it covers a bit of ground...both literally and figuratively. :D Hope you enjoy!

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CHAPTER 2: Sage of the North

As I woke up the next morning, the sun was shining on the tundra once again with no clouds in sight. I began to recall the events of the night before.

_Was that real? Who was that guy? Surely I must have dreamt the entire thing._

However, deep down, I knew that it was real.

_I never dream. _

Trying to just forget about it, I opted to decide on which direction I should head that day, but the fact that each one looked the same made it difficult. I was a mere blip on a seemingly endless plain of white.

_Just great. How am I even going to find the way back to my campsite?_

It was at that moment that something caught my eye. Off in the distance, there suddenly appeared a small dot on the horizon. It kept getting closer, becoming more and more defined until I could make out the figure of a person; but it was more than just a person. There was something else too, and it was moving incredibly fast.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the figure; but it was too far away for me to make out any of the words.

"What?" I called out, not knowing a better way to handle the situation.

The distant figure repeated itself, but was still just too far for me to decipher its speech.

This time, I cupped my hands around my mouth to amplify the sound, "WHAT?"

Our back and forth screaming continued until the figure was finally close enough that I could hear.

"WATCH OUT KID!" an older man with long silver hair shouted as he was pulled across the tundra on a sled by four Siberian Huskies, "Jiraiya is coming through!"

I discovered that he and his sled were approaching much more quickly that I had originally thought.

_This crazy old man is going to run me over!_

I frantically leapt out of the sled's path right in the nick of time. The old man was able to stop just before he crashed through my campsite.

"What the hell is your problem, kid?" He said sternly as he got off of his sled and approached me, "Do you really think you can just stand there and expect the Great Jiraiya to stop? I think not!"

"Well, you stopped, didn't you?" I murmured in retaliation.

Jiraiya looked at me suspiciously, "What's a kid like you doing all the way out here anyway? I bet you're up to no good!"

I didn't like this old man one bit. He was an extremely obnoxious individual and I really didn't want anything to do with him; but I knew I'd be a fool not to ask him anything about the area.

"Listen; you have me all wrong," I began, "I'm here on a research mission, nothing more."

"Oh, so you came up here to do some research on old Jiraiya, eh? Well guess what! Jiraiya doesn't accept interviews without an appointment!" He teased as he turned back toward his sled.

"Wait!" I shouted after him, "I'm not here because of you; I'm here because of the Nine Tailed Fox!"

Jiraiya stopped dead in his tracks, and we stood in silence for a few moments.

"So tell me, kid," he said with much seriousness, "Just how would you know about a thing like that?"

"I was sent from a far-away city called Konoha by a researcher named Kakashi Hatake," I answered, "I need to-"

My words were cut off as Jiraiya marched over and picked me up by my collar. He stared into my eyes with rage and scorn for over a minute before finally recomposing himself and setting me gently back down.

"Go get your things and put them on my sled," He said firmly as he turned his back to me, "There are many things we need to discuss, but now is not the time."

"Wait, what do you-"

"Hurry up, Kid!" Jiraiya interrupted once again, "I don't have all day."

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Despite the added weight of myself and the supplies, Jiraiya's Huskies still were able to pull the sled with great speed across the tundra. They also didn't seem to be the least bit tired.

"So what's your name, kid?" Jiraiya asked as we sped along.

"Naruto Uzumaki," I answered and then paused, "May I ask where we're going?"

The old man chuckled, "I wish I could say we were returning to my home, but unfortunately, we're headed the opposite direction. I have some things to take care of."

I decided against asking further questions for the time being and the silence gave me a chance to think.

_There's no way that Jiraiya was the man from last night. He was much different. _

Suddenly the sled came to a stop.

"There he is," Jiraiya sighed, "There's that stupid kid."

I looked up to see a tall, dark-haired young man walking along through the snow.

"Hey Sasuke," the old man called out to him, "Just where do you think you're going off to?"

The young man turned around and looked at Jiraiya, "Isn't it obvious?"

Instantly, I recognized that soft, deep voice. He was the stranger, no doubt.

I quickly stood up, "You're the guy from last night, aren't you?"

Sasuke smiled slightly and then looked back over to Jiraiya.

"So Jiraiya, I see you've picked up a hitchhiker," He said, "You're wasting your time old man, this kid just wants to die."

I slowly sat back down.

_He's right. Why am I even still bothering with any of this?_

Jiraiya paused for a moment, "So I take it you two have met before?"

"Briefly," Sasuke answered as he continued on his way.

I could tell that Jiraiya was irritated by the fact that Sasuke was walking away from him.

"So what's going to happen if you find Itachi?" Jiraiya yelled, "Do you think you're going to be able to kill him all on your own?"

His words caused Sasuke to snap.

"Shut your mouth! I've always done everything myself and I'm not going to start relying on others now!" He exclaimed with anger, "I want to do this alone!"

Up until that point, Sasuke seemed to be so collected and it felt strange to see him snap like that.

_Who is this Itachi? Why does mentioning him cause Sasuke to become so angry?_

I thought that Jiraiya would have something to say back to him, but the old man only sighed and watched as Sasuke headed off into the distance.

"Well Naruto, I guess we'd better get going," Jiraiya finally said, "I don't think I'll ever get through to that kid."

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

After our brief encounter with Sasuke, Jiraiya and I turned around and set off to his home. The trip lasted quite a few hours even by sled, and soon, we had reached the end of the tundra and the beginning of an expansive forest with large, iced caped mountains faintly visible in the far distance. Despite the length of the trip, neither of us said a word to each other.

Jiraiya stopped the sled at the base of a tree; an exceptionally large tree compared to any of the others in the area; large enough that five or six people could probably stand inside of it.

"I didn't know there were trees like this in the north," I informed.

Jiraiya grinned, "That's what makes my home so special!"

He unhooked his dogs from their harnesses and they walked with us around to the other side of the tree. There, we went inside of it through a hollowed-out opening.

"Home sweet home!" Jiraiya exclaimed happily as he lit a few candles to brighten up his tree home. It was a small, yet comfortable place with a tiny wooden table in the middle, a bed on the right side, and on the left, a large pot hanging above a fireplace for cooking.

The dogs went to lie down in the corner to rest from their long day while Jiraiya began to get a fire started.

"I'm making dinner," He said, "You can either join me or eat whatever disgusting rations they supplied you with."

I watched as Jiraiya emptied a large water container into the pot and began to add various plants and herbs to the mixture.

"Neither option seems incredibly appetizing," I said, turning my nose up a bit.

_I could go for a nice bowl of ramen back in Konoha right now._

"Fine then," Jiraiya began, "Go ahead and starve to death. According to what Sasuke said back there, you just want to die anyway."

I quickly changed the subject, "Look; I just want some answers! What is going on out here? Who is Sasuke? Who are YOU, for that matter? What do you know about the Nine Tailed Fox?"

Jiriaya let out a long, disgusted sigh, stopping my array of questions.

"Well maybe if you sit down and have dinner with me, you'll find out."

The conversation ended there as I slowly walked over to the table and sat down.

_Why do I even give a damn about any of this? I thought I was just going to die._

As I waited for Jiraiya to finish preparing dinner, I gazed out through the opening in the tree. Night had fallen and I could once again hear the wolves far off in the distance. For some reason, I thought of Sasuke.

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Thanks for reading!

**Next chapter:**_ Sasuke's Failure_


	3. Chapter 03

CHAPTER 3: Sasuke's Failure

"Are you afraid of the wolves, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked as he carried a bowl of stew over to the table and sat it down in front of me.

I didn't want to sound helpless. I already felt that the old man considered me to be enough of a pathetic child.

"No, not particularly."

Jiraiya went and got a bowl of stew for himself and then sat down across from me.

"I see," He mumbled, "Well you should be afraid. Those vicious creatures will show you no mercy."

"Well obviously your friend Sasuke isn't afraid of them," I responded, "He's out there right now."

The old man laughed, "Sasuke is a special case."

I suddenly thought back to what Shikamaru said on the helicopter about the legend of the Uchihas and how they had the ability to command the wolves.

_Is that what Jiraiya is talking about? Is Sasuke an Uchiha?_

I had to know the answer.

"Well then, Jiraiya," I began as I tasted a bit of the stew, "What is it that makes Sasuke so special?"

He took a slow, deep breath and slumped back in his chair a bit. I could tell it was going to be a long story.

"Many years ago, these northern lands were inhabited by a clan known as the Uchihas. These people had a special technique passed down through the generations."

"The ability to control the wolves," I interrupted.

Jiraiya gave me a somewhat foul look as he finished off the last of his stew, "Well, well. Why don't you just tell the story then, Mr. Smarty Pants."

_I should have known he'd just get pissed at me for interrupting him._

"I'm sorry. It was just something I heard about once," I politely explained, "Please go on."

The old man looked at me suspiciously before continuing, "Anyway, one of the most powerful of the Uchihas was a young man by the name of Itachi. One day, he single-handedly killed off every last member of his clan; except for one."

"Sasuke," I realized out loud, "He's the one who survived."

Jiraiya pounded his fist on the table.

"Cut it out!" He yelled, "Can't you just let me tell the story?"

I tried to apologize again, but I could tell that Jiraiya was done talking about the Uchihas thanks to my interrupting. He was a very impatient old man.

"So," Jiraiya finally said, "You're looking for the Nine Tailed Fox?"

"That's right," I answered, trying to finish off the last of the awful tasting stew, "What do you know about it?"

Jiraiya slumped and took a deep breath once again, signaling the beginning of a long story.

"I see that fool Kakashi finally caught up to me."

I quickly stood up, "You know Kakashi? How?"

"Kakashi and I were once partners back in Konoha. Both of us were interested in the Nine Tailed Fox," Jiraiya explained, "However, it soon became clear that we had two very different reasons for wanting to find it."

The old man's expression turned solemn. I felt clueless. It was becoming clear that there was much I didn't know about.

_Kakashi had never mentioned Jiraiya before. What the hell is going on?_

Jiraiya cleared his throat and continued, "I'm sure Kakashi hasn't told you the true reason he's looking for the Nine Tailed Fox."

"It's not for research?" I asked, puzzled.

"Not at all. Kakashi is a dog of the military first and a researcher second. If he gets his hands on the Nine Tailed Fox, he'll use it as a weapon of war. That was always his plan."

Shocked, I tried to disprove Jiraiya's remarks, "That's not possible. If you two were partners then wouldn't Kakashi have known that the Nine Tailed Fox was up here and sent someone long ago?"

"I'm not finished yet," Jiraiya sighed, "I was the one who originally tracked the beast to the northern wilderness, but when I found out about Kakashi's plan, I didn't share any of it with him. Instead, I packed up my research documents and came here by myself. It has been nearly ten years since then and I haven't left yet. I knew his research would catch up to mine eventually and I wanted to be here to stop him, or anyone else who would try to take the Nine Tailed Fox."

I gulped, beginning to feel a bit fearful after hearing those words.

_That's me._

"You can relax kid," Jiraiya said, taking notice of my sudden nervousness, "You were obviously painfully uninformed."

"Well that's good to know," I sighed in relief, "But I don't understand. I wasn't sent here to capture the Nine Tailed Fox. I was only supposed to find and study it from a distance."

The old man laughed almost uncontrollably, "As if a puny little squirt like you could capture the Nine Tailed Fox! Kakashi was only sending you to confirm that it existed. He's the type who doesn't like to waste his time bothering with anything unless he's sure it'll be worth it. In fact, he probably doesn't even care whether or not you die out here. He'll just send someone else."

_Yet another person to whom my life means nothing. _

I didn't know what to say. All that time, Kakashi was using me for his evil purposes. I should have been angry, but for some reason, I didn't feel anything.

Suddenly, Jiraiya's dogs began to bark as a mysterious voice beckoned from outside the tree, "Jiraiya, come and tend to this pathetic fool before he bleeds to death."

A look of dread and urgency fell upon Jiraiya as he rushed outside. Not knowing what else to do, I quickly followed him.

There, lying on the ground was a terribly injured and bloody Sasuke. He appeared to be unconscious.

_Who could have done this to him?_

I followed Jiraiya's eyes to a cloaked man in the shadows. Standing at his feet were three ferocious black wolves, growling at us with their razor sharp fangs. I froze up in fear.

"This poor child thought he was strong enough," the mysterious man began, "He really believed that he was capable of killing me."

With a look of anger in his eyes, Jiraiya slowly approached Sasuke without looking away from the cloaked man, "Damn you, Itachi."

_So this is Itachi; the one who single handedly wiped out the entire Uchiha clan._

"Tell Sasuke that I'll give him one last chance," Itachi requested as he began to turn away, "Make sure he knows not to waste it; because the next time we meet, I will not be so generous."

In an instant, Itachi disappeared out of thin air.

_How the hell did he do that?_

There was no time to think about it.

Jiraiya and I quickly carried Sasuke inside and placed him on the bed.

"Here," Jiraiya said as he handed me a small bucket of water and a cloth, "You clean up his wounds. There are a few medical herbs that I should go out and find."

_Uhh…I've never done anything like this before…_

It didn't matter. Jiraiya was already gone and I was left alone to clean up a bloody, unconscious Sasuke.

Carefully, I wiped the cloth across his muscular chest.

"This is so embarrassing! Why the hell am I blushing?" I sternly asked myself aloud for some reason. It wasn't like Sasuke could hear me though.

As some of the blood was washed away, I began to notice the type of injuries that were inflicted upon him. They were huge bite marks; clearly those of wolves.

Even though he couldn't hear me, I quietly interrogated Sasuke aloud.

"Can't you control the wolves? Couldn't you make them stop doing this to you?"

Despite my wondering, in the back of my head I knew the answer. Itachi's influence over the creatures had to be much stronger.

I looked down on Sasuke's face with both sympathy and wonder.

_I'm going to have so many questions to ask you when you wake up._

In that moment, the still unconscious Sasuke murmured softly, "I'm sorry, Mother. I failed."

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Thanks for reading!

**Next chapter:**_ The Past_


	4. Chapter 04

CHAPTER 4: The Past

After almost three hours, Jiraiya finally returned and further treated Sasuke's injuries.

"I see he's still out like a light," Jiraiya noted as he began to bandage him up.

"He said something in his sleep," I began, "It was an apology to his mother."

Jiraiya gently sighed and looked up at me. "This kid has had quite a past."

There was so much more that I wanted to know about Sasuke but I knew Jiraiya wasn't the one to ask. I wanted my answers to come from Sasuke himself.

"Well," Jiraiya began as he finished his bandage work on Sasuke, "Since this crazy kid is unconscious in my bed, I'm going to go find a nice spot down on the floor and get some sleep. You'd best do the same."

I watched as Jiraiya crossed the room, picked up a small cushion from his chair, and curled up under the table.

_What a strange old man._

Despite the roughness of the dirt "floor", I laid down right beside the bed without any sort of padding. I didn't want to leave Sasuke.

_What if he wakes up in the night and runs away?_

Before I knew it, an hour had passed and I had still not fallen asleep. It didn't help that Jiraiya was snoring obnoxiously under the table.

Suddenly, I heard a soft whisper. "I see you're still living."

I quickly sat up to find Sasuke looking down at me from the bed.

"Sasuke! You woke up!"

"Hush," Sasuke commanded softly but sternly as he covered my mouth with his hand, "You'll wake up that unbearable old geezer."

I don't know if it was because he thought I was going to continue being loud, but Sasuke's hand remained over my mouth for a few extra moments than it needed to.

_Damn it! Why the hell am I blushing again?_

After finally letting go of me, Sasuke continued. "Why are you here anyway? I thought you wanted to die."

I paused; not knowing how to answer him.

"Tell me what it is that makes your life unlivable," Sasuke said as he looked solemnly into my eyes, "Tell me why you're trying to throw away everything."

In that moment, time seemed to stop. My eyes were fixated on his and his on mine. Somehow, I felt comforted; like I could tell him anything. If I had met someone earlier, whose mere stare could make me feel that way; then perhaps I wouldn't have been giving up on my life. Perhaps I would've been back in Konoha, right by that person's side. But I had a feeling that not just anyone could make me feel that way. I had a feeling that Sasuke was special, and even though I had a myriad of questions to ask him, I wanted to answer his first.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

I never knew my real parents. I was put up for adoption the day I was born.

Iruka took me into his care as a newborn and raised me like I was his own. Even though I was incredibly grateful for everything did for me, I wasn't happy. I felt that I was only burden to Iruka. I felt that surely he could be off living his life to the fullest if it wasn't for me.

To this day, I still remember when those thoughts had first entered my head.

I was only seven years old at the time. In school, I never fit in with any of the other kids. I was shy and usually picked on quite a lot. There was one boy in particular that would torment me far more frequently than the others; his name was Chouji.

"Hey Naruto, whatcha' doing buddy?" the bully asked sinisterly as he gave me a small punch to the arm.

"I-I'm drawing a picture for daddy! Leave me alone Chouji!"

The large boy laughed as he repeatedly slammed his fist on my desk. "Daddy? You don't have a dad!"

"I do so! Shut up!" I cried, my eyes beginning to fill up with tears.

"Don't you tell me to shut up, you little snot!" Chouji shouted as he picked me up by the collar, "I think I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson!"

"Chouji!" the teacher yelled as he entered the room, "Just what do you think you're doing?"

The bully quickly formulated an innocent excuse. "Ah, I'm just palling around with my buddy Naruto here."

"I see," the teacher said suspiciously, "Well this classroom isn't a place for you two to be goofing off."

"I'm really sorry sir!" Chouji exclaimed with even more false innocence than before.

"Just don't let it happen again," the teacher warned, "Now take your seats."

Before leaving my desk, Chouji discretely leaned into my ear and whispered threateningly. "Watch yourself, pipsqueak."

That evening, I lay down in my bed and stared up at the ceiling, thinking about what Chouji had said.

_I do so have a daddy and he loves me a lot!_

Suddenly, Iruka entered my room quietly.

"You still awake, Naruto?" He asked gently.

I nodded happily with a smile across my face.

Iruka laughed, "You should get to bed! Don't forget you have school tomorrow!"

My mood suddenly turned a bit somber. "I know, Daddy. I didn't forget."

Noticing the change, Iruka frowned. "Is everything going okay at school, Naruto?"

I didn't want to tell him about what Chouji said. In fact, I never really told him about anything that went on at school. I didn't want him to worry.

"Everything is fine Daddy," I lied with a smile.

"That's good to hear Naruto," Iruka grinned, "Sometimes I worry when you never go out and play with the other children or invite any friends over."

_Worry?_

"No!" I exclaimed, "Please don't worry Daddy! Everything is fine!"

Iruka patted me on the head. "Okay Naruto, I'm happy that everything is going well for you."

_It's better if Daddy thinks that everything is fine. I don't want Daddy to worry about me._

"Now then," Iruka said softly as he kissed my forehead, "Get to bed Naruto. You have school and Daddy has a big day tomorrow."

"What's going on, Daddy?" I asked curiously.

Iruka chuckled. "Well Naruto, I might be getting a promotion at work tomorrow!"

"Oh wow! A promotion? That's great Daddy!" I squealed with joy. Though really, I wasn't quite sure what a promotion was. All I knew is that it seemed to be something that made Iruka happy.

"After you're done at school tomorrow, we'll go out and get some ramen to celebrate," Iruka said happily, "Goodnight Naruto. Sweet dreams."

I went to bed at peace that night, forgetting all about Chouji.

_I do so have a daddy and he loves me a lot!_

The next day at recess, I went to the spot I usually went to; an old wooden swing at the far edge of the playground. Every day, I would swing gently back and forth by myself. No one ever came over and tried to befriend me at any time during my school years. There was only me; alone on the swing.

However, on this particular day, someone decided to come over and pay me a visit.

"Well, well, well," Chouji snickered as he approached me, "Look who it is!"

Thinking that maybe he would leave, I decided to just ignore him.

"Hey! You listen to me when I talk to you!" He yelled as he violently pushed me off the swing and onto the ground.

I remember that it hurt a lot, but for some reason I just kept ignoring him.

"What's wrong? Aren't you gonna fight back?" Chouji taunted as he kicked up dirt in my face, "You were talking a pretty big game yesterday and I was about ready to knock all of your teeth out. I'm glad you learned your lesson."

The bully laughed as he gave me a hard kick to the side. "I guess this is what happens when you don't have a dad to toughen you up! Whoever's raising you is really pathetic!"

Suddenly, I snapped. It was the first time that anything like this had ever happened. No one was going to insult Iruka and get away with it.

"What did you just say?" I asked with rage as a rose to my feet.

Chouji snickered again. "I said your stupid fake dad is pathetic!"

"You take that back right now," I growled as I clenched my fist, "Take it back!"

He stormed over to me. "Oh and what are you going to do about it?"

In that moment, I released all the anger I had bottled up from his ridicule over the years in one powerful punch to his face. It was over in seconds as Chouji hit the ground and started crying like the baby he was on the surface. But alas, our fight also caught the attention of the teachers.

_I'm going to get in so much trouble._

After a stern lecture from the principle, I was placed in a waiting area and sat for what felt like forever. Glancing over to the other room, I saw the nurse applying an ice pack to Chouji's face. He was still sobbing.

"Naruto," a familiar voice said sadly.

I turned to see Iruka standing in the doorway with a glum look on his face. "I never thought you'd do something like this."

Neither of us said a word to each other as we left the school, but I felt terrible. Iruka looked so sad and disappointed.

_Maybe if I talk about Daddy's promotion, he'll be happy again._

"So Daddy," I began, "Are we still going to celebrate your promotion?"

Iruka sighed. "Sadly, I won't be getting one. I cancelled my presentation when the school called and passed up my chance."

I was overwhelmed with guilt.

_It's all my fault._

For some reason, Iruka and I still went out for ramen that night; but for somehow, it just didn't taste the same.

Iruka tried to stay positive. Sure, he was disappointed about what I did, but he never once yelled at me for causing him to lose his promotion.

Regardless of Iruka's attitude, there was a change in me that day. From then on, I started to become more and more independent and my relationship with Iruka had become increasingly distant as the years went on. I never wanted to be a burden on his life ever again.

You would think that after punching a notorious bully in the face, I would gain some respect from the other children, but I never did. I may have not been bullied anymore after that day, but I remained alone. No one needed me.

_What's the point of being alive if no one needs you?_

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Sasuke remained attentive throughout my whole story, and when I was finished he closed his eyes in contemplation.

"Iruka sounds like he was a great father to you," Sasuke began, "I haven't had any parents to take care of me since I was very young."

"Sasuke, please tell me what happened to the Uchihas," I responded, "I have so many questions to ask you!"

The dark haired boy slowly rose to his feet. "So I guess that old fool has been telling you some things," He laughed, "Very well then."

With those words, Sasuke reached out his hand to help me up off of the floor.

"W-what are you doing?" I blushed, "I can stand up myself, you know."

For some reason, I took his hand anyway and he pulled me up with his strong arm.

"Come on. Let's get out of here before that loud-mouth wakes up."

"Okay!" I agreed without really thinking.

_Wait…Where are we going? WHERE IN THE HELL IS HE TAKING ME?_

It was too late to think about it. Before I knew it, Sasuke was pulling me along quickly though the forest by my hand.

_Why do I feel so…happy?_

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Thanks for reading!

**Next chapter:**_ The Sanctuary of Wolves_


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